The legislation, originally proposed to the Ugandan Parliament by David Bahati in September of 2009, would impose life imprisonment or the death sentence for same-gender consensual sex. Those found guilty of not reporting suspected homosexuals to the authorities could face prison time as well.

“From a public health perspective the bill, if passed into law, would b ea direct attack on Uganda’s already weak efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, as it would criminalize outreach, education and information at a time when new infections are on the rise and more people need to be placed on [antiretroviral] treatment,” according to the coalition’s press release.